Fang

The next couple of passing moons were agony. The whole pack waited in anticipation for LongFang to regain consciousness. His breathing slowly became stronger less shallow and the elders seemed optimistic.

When LongFang finally woke I yelped in happiness and a long howl of pleasure and welcome echoed from the pack. It still took him a couple more days to get up and about. At first he seemed disorientated and did not join the pack mind. During those days DenMother watched my every move and forbade any of the others from coming close to me. The look of distrust on her face hurt the most.

WindChaser would frequently try to sneak around DenMother’swatchful gaze trying to get close to me, even if she was asleep she could sense when he was coming. She would always just snarl a little not even opening her eyes and WindChaserwould immediately back off, aggravated. He would toss me a rabbit or wild hen every now and then in defiance of DenMother’s orders. I could see the fearless curiosity in his eyes, and I appreciated that seeing as how he was the only one that actually showed an interest in me besides the little ones. Not even DenMother’s growls could keep them from me for long.

DenMother would let me out so I could get a drink or to relieve myself but she always stayed a mere step away from me both watching me and keeping guard between myself and the others. I sense the others in the pack mind, avoiding me some afraid of what I had become and what I had done. I understood their fear I had scared myself and was still afraid of what I had done. But I still felt like one of the pack, I couldn’t help that I was somehow different.

Finally after almost a moon LongFang joined the pack mind. I saw confusion in his mind. After the stranger had attacked him he had not really seen what happened and I had gleaned from WindChasers mind that LongFang had fallen unconscious not long after I did.

“Show me what happenedWildHunt.” LongFang demandsof his Beta.

We are all subject to watching my abhorred behaviour again. This time I see it from another’s point of view and I am surprised that my own tortured recollection over the horrid day is not as clear as I thought.

WildHunt to my mortification started the memory from my disobeying LongFangs order to stay in the wood. I honestly thought myself and WindChaser stealthier as we crept up on our hiding spot behind the rock. WildHunt had noticed us almost as soon as we decided to disobey.

He slows the memory to make sure LongFang saw the strangers disrespect and attack clearly so there would be no doubt as to what happened while making his own feelings clear. “She had no reason to attack Werewolf or not!” He growls outraged again by the images.

As he shows my counter attack I cringe dreading what WildHunt would think of me now but he wins my utmost respect when I see his mind. He is not in the least put out with me in fact he was about to attack her himself when I had intervened.

He continues to show my change into what she had called a Vampire and the packs stunned reaction to it. This was the first detailed picture I saw of myself in that form from another’s point of view and I flinch inwardly trying not to see. My other form is monstrous that much is clear no matter my subsequent change to my normal self.

WildHunt projects unease at my change but skips over his own feelings here and shows instead my change back to normal form and all the moons since LongFang fell unconscious.

LongFang turns his full gaze on me and as Alpha runs amok with my mind, delving for every detail from the moment I changed until now. Then to my bewilderment he walks up to me and nudges me with his muzzle. A sign of respect in front of the whole pack.

I have seen LongFang angry but never before like this as he turns towards DenMother and the rest of the pack. “How dare you!” He growls viciously. “He is one of ours, he is a part of this pack, he is the only one that helped me. You all knew he was different when we accepted him into the pack, saw what he was born as and changed into. How dare you treat him this way? Where were any of you when you’re Alpha was attacked, cowering in the shadows like little pups! Now you have him cowering in a corner like theenemy! All of you get out of my sight!”

For the first time since I woke after the attack I do not cower in the back of the den but stand tall and proud next to my Alpha. His words are like ice to an open wound. For too many sunrises I havebeen doubting myself and what I am but no longer. Whatever I am my Alpha is okay with it and so would I be.

It did sting a little seeing the anguish in DenMothers eyes as she turns to me lowering her head before leaving the den with her tail between her legs. The rest of the pack follows her example. There is no longer any trace of fear in their thoughts of me only shame.

I wished to call them back and make them smile for this is indeed a magnificent day. We should be celebrating our Alpha’s return not fighting over things past. After what had happened the one time I disobeyed my Alpha I wasn’t eager to go against his decision now so I kept my peace and accept their apologies without comment.

WindChaserdoes not leave with the rest standing and waiting at the entrance. I nod to him letting him know all is well. LongFang too nodsto his son acknowledging the fact that WindChaser had not and never would treat me as anything but a blood brother.

When we are alone LongFang sits down next to me.I lay my head at his feet and whine. It felt as though I had been through hell and I had never even believed in those stories of hell WildHunt liked to scare us with as pups.

“Look at me.” LongFang says and I glance up at him no longer uncertain just feeling worn out. “We knew you were different from the first. We thought you would be like your mother. Not a wolf but a Werewolf.”

“I don’t understand.” I admit although I had heard stories of Werewolf’s before. The only memories the pack had ever shared about my birth mother was those of a wolf bigger than even LongFang but not different in any other way I picked up.

“The memories Jenny pulled from the collective pack mind, do you remember them?” I nod. “They showed the day you were born. You were not born as a wolf pup. You saw the white form Jenny took on?” Again I only nod. “That is called human form.” He clarifies for me. “And that is the form you were born in.” He shows me again the little pale skinned crying on the den floor. “That is you.” The statement is unsettling. I’m a weirdo as my milk brother had always called me when I did things better or different from him.

“NO YOU ARE NOT!” LongFang growls then visibly makes himself calm down. I can see this last couple of hours back on his feet is taking their toll.

Not wanting to make anything more trying for him than necessary I decide to simply listen and not comment for now. For my Alpha especially after what he did for me today, stood up for me, accepted me and in his condition is now taking the time to make me understand and feel better, and what I now be latently realize has done for me all along I would pretty much do anything.

“Werewolf’s.” He says trying to explain again. “Are human most of the time and are born that way. Unlike you they spend years learning to control their other self’s the wolf in them and when they do learn control can choose to be in either form.We are in a way cousin’s to them although when they are in their wolf forms they are far bigger and stronger than we are and live much longer than we do.

You’re mother comes from a pack of Werewolf’s that have been connected to our pack for a long time. Our territory has always been a type of border between their lands and those of their natural enemies. The way you were born and what you changed into after you’re birth made it clear that you are a Werewolf.

I have believed for a long time that you had stayed in wolf form for so long simply because that is what we raised you to be. What I hadn’t taken into consideration is what your mother’s words to me meant before her death. She told me you would be more than just a mere Werewolf that that was the reason she could not return to her own pack with you and why she wished for us to raise you. She didn’t know how different and I did not understand her meaning at the time but I think your father must have been a Vampire. It is not something I have ever heard of before. Werewolf’s and Vampires are natural enemies.”

LongFang sighs and lays down looking utterly worn out. For a long time he does not move or say another word and I wonder if I should leave him to his rest but then he shakes himself and opens his eyes again staring ahead.

“If this is true then you are the only one of your kind as far as I know. That fact alone would peak the Tribunals interest. But let us not talk about them now.” He sighs and although I would love to ask questions about the mysterious Tribunal everyone always only spoke of in whispers I let it be for now.

“I saw in your mind that you were not in control of yourself during the fight.” LongFang continues. “After you bit her in your present form you changed and adapted to meet her challenge and acted on instinct.”LongFang gives me a lopsided grin making his statement sting less.

“After what happened I also believe that your mother was afraid of more than just her own pack finding out what you are cable of. PaleFang you have heard stories of the Tribunal and of others not of our kind but different from the animals we share our woods with.There are many different things that share our worldwith us pup things with many different powers and abilities.”

I try to be quite but the beginnings of questions keep forming in my mind and before I can stop it one escapes my grasp. “How canI change into something I did not even know existed?”

“Survival instincts are a powerful thing young pup more powerful than can simply be explained. We have one problem to content with now though. The Werewolf you killed is part of the same pack your mother belonged to and her failure to return to them will not go unnoticed. If anyone finds out she was killed by another of her kind it will fall to the Tribunal Werewolf member to judge it a fair kill or not.

I know you have been through a trying time these last few days but I’m afraid there is more to come. For now I order you…” And his Alpha voice booming in my head leaves no doubt that I would obey. “…not to ever share your memory of what you became with anyone or anything outside our pack.”

The memory slips from my mind like a slippery snake and sneaks off so far into my mind that I doubt I would ever again be able to think of it without his permission.

“That should keep you safe from the Tribunal and other Werewolf’s for now but we must act first to show your innocence. You did not kill her without provocation you where protecting me and our pack from a lawful treat. The only way I can think of to do this is to invite some of her pack members here and show them what had happened. I know one, Ian, who has from time to time lived with us to escape the binds of the world. I will send for him soon. Get some rest,at sunrise we will go on a hunt for knowledge you and I.”

Touching his nose to mine LongFang gets up and moves over to his special place in the den and falls asleep.

For a time I lay still just watching him sleep realizing that I’m afraid to face the things he said I would have to face. LongFang had said I was part of the pack and his word was law but for the first time I worried that that would not always be the case for me. He is still not completely recovered and that worries me as well we should stay and give him more time to heal. I decide to take it up with him in the morning not wanting to disturb him now.

Luckily my milk brother tolerates no moping. He creeps into the cave while I am not looking and drags me out by my tail. How could I worry about anything running the deer paths with him under a perfect moon with our siblings in tow?

Later that night as I lay in the den focused on the pack mind surrounded by my family pack’s wonderful dreams of elaborate hunts and lazy days sprawled out in the sun. I wondered if other pack’s members feel as loved and at peace as I had always felt in our pack’s mind. I knew from previous encounters with other packs and from the incident with WildHunts predecessor that not just anyone can be part of a pack’s mind.

The Beta we had in my earlier childhood had decided that he wanted to be Alpha instead. He had been about to challenge LongFang when WildHunt challenged him for his place instead. Needless to say WildHunt had won the fight and LongFang had exiled the old Beta. I hadn’t known that a pack mind revolved around the Alpha of the pack and that he could choose to keep you in it or shut you out until that day.

I never wanted to be separated from my pack and its mind. It was my safe haven, my calm when storms thundered in my own mind. The fact that Jenny had been able to invade our pack mind was baffling to me and as I closed my eyes I resolved to ask LongFang about it in the morning. Tomorrow promised to be if nothing else at least interesting.